Burda Challenge 2015, June Edition

*drumroll* 

Here is my Burda Challenge garment for June!

 

It's blouse #104 from the June, 2011 issue of Burdastyle magazine. The Man picked up the June, 2015 issue for me (bless his soul), but I didn't find anything therein that I thought I could make with stashed goods. Plus, I had just seen Anniinbc's review of the dress version of this pattern on SewingPatternReview.com, and I'd made a note that I needed to try this pattern STAT.

 

This is the dress version. The shirt is exactly the same, but omits the pockets and bottom band.

I've been looking for an unstructured blouse pattern that would suit some sheer-ish woven fabric bits in the stash. I wanted something without darts or collar, because I didn't want to have to worry about the structure showing through the fabric in the finished garment. This pattern has a forward shoulder, with a pleat plus a few gathers substituting for darts. There's a button band, but no collar, and sleeve bands that are less complicated than cuffs. Basically, it's very shirt-like but without the fiddley bits of a full on shirt.

Part of my Puyallup haul

The fabric that jumped into my head when I saw Anniinbc's review was the olive green with spots that's second from the right in the shapshot above. It's a gauzey something that I got at the Vogue fabric booth at the Sewing and Stitchery Expo in Puyallup in February.

I'll confess that the reason I have these lengths of sheer fabric lingering about is because they scare me. Fraying, visible seam finishes, slipperiness. Oh, my.

When I actually started cutting this top out, I discovered that my fabric isn't just gauze. It's double-gauze. Holy cow, twice as terrifying! The fabric wasn't too hard to manage while cutting, but the weave is pretty loose. The pieces stretched while being manipulated, almost like a knit. And I admit I manhandled that button band something fierce.

I initially put the collar on upside down, so I had to pick a few seams apart. Not fun with this fabric, let me tell you. My fingers were sweaty, I was so nervous I was going to pick a hole through my neckband. Thank the sewing gods, the button holes went in just fine. I was afraid my machine would stumble and I'd need to pick them out too. I probably would have just turned the seam ripper on my jugluar.


Ertha the Goldfish has decided she approves

I was so sure I was cruising towards a wadder that I got a little slapdash during construction. Once I got the thing done, though, I decided it isn't half bad. Not my finest work, by a long shot, but wearable.

I really do like the pattern. My issues were all due to my ham-handed technique with this fabric. The fit is loose but not too billowy, and I like the clean, no-collar neckline. I think it's a good match for a fabric that wants simple lines, whether because of a demanding print or a finicky nature. One of the reviewers on PatternReview.com mentioned that the garment morphs nicely from top to light jacket - very true.

I shortened the top by about 4 inches. Before that it looked a little too long to be a top and a little too short to be a dress. I still want to totally copy Anniinbc and make the dress version in a blue chambray.

I have a couple yards of this gauze left over. I'm thinking I might make a skirt to match the top. Then I could wear them together and pretend they're a frock. Now that I've had my trial by fire with double-gauze, I'll look for a very simple style and I'll pop for french seams!

My pattern review is on PatternReview.com here.